PSEB unbundling put off till Dec 15
Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 9
Unbundling of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has been put off again following protest of farmer organisations led by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta).

The government claimed the decision to give more time to the state for the unbundling of the PSEB was taken on September 4 by the Union ministry of Power. However, the state government claimed the Union ministry conveyed this decision only today through fax to the state’s Chief Secretary.

The state, which was given time till September 15 to unbundle the electricity board, has been given extension till December 15. According to official communication, the extension had been given “to enable the state government to complete the unbundling process”.

Sources added a show of strength by BKU (Ekta) activists and the Kirti Kisan Sabha, mazdoor unions and employees of the PSEB, which led to violence and death of a farmer here yesterday, had forced the state government to put off unbundling. The Union Power Ministry was approached for another extension to cool off emotions and give the state time to achieve consensus on the issue by reaching out to major stakeholders.

The sources said unbundling of the board was imminent following a meeting on the issue by the Chief Minister recently. The government had exhausted all excuses for putting off the unbundling exercise and was under pressure to go ahead with it in view increasing losses. Earlier elections to the Panchayati Raj institutions and the Lok Sabha had come in the way of the unbundling exercise.

Farmer organisations, however, want the government to shelve the unbundling exercise permanently failing which they will go ahead with the rail roko slated for for September 15. Kirti Kisan Union president Prem Singh Bhangu said the government should come out with a statement on the issue to assuage feelings of stakeholders who apprehend the unbundling was a prelude to privatisation of the PSEB.

Meanwhile, Harchand Singh Barsat, chief patron, Punjab Pardesh Employees Federation, claimed the SAD-BJP government was moving towards “selling government property” as it had failed to steer the economy of the state. He also condemned what he referred to as “brutal action” on “peaceful protesters” yesterday. NS Gill and Col Angad Singh (retd) of the Consumer Protection and Awareness Council, Mohali, have called for levying power tariff announced yesterday by the Regulatory Commission from the date of issue of the tariff order and not from April 1.